Understanding by designing – this theory is pursued by Studio Urbane Landschaften at Leibniz Universität Hannover. The Studio was founded at the faculty of architecture and landscape in 2003 as an interdisciplinary teaching, research and practice network with the aim to explore the complex issue of designing in the landscape. The Studio has now published a comprehensive book explaining its approach, Creating Knowledge: Innovation Strategies for Designing Urban Landscapes.

The Studio considers itself a network of inter-university and external experts from different disciplines. It aims to use design to find answers to questions which arise in urban landscapes and need to be considered in a larger spatial context, such as the effects of climate change. Studio members claim that ideas can be developed and, more importantly, landscape and correlations of cause and effect can be understood through design. For the Studio Urbane Landschaften this means that site analysis is not necessarily conducted with the standard methods. For example, installations, role play or interviews could be used to understand site conditions.

The members of the Studio base their theory on Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics (the study of understanding): “understanding and creative finding of ideas occur in one and the same process simultaneously: ‘understanding as creativity’”. According to this theory, the design practice of spatial design disciplines could become a bridging element between the humanities, sciences and planning disciplines. The Studio’s view of how creativity and understanding are linked is expressed by representatives from the fields of philosophy, neurobiology, philosophy of science, psychology and art in the first section of the book, in a chapter entitled “Exploration – Creativity, Understanding and Idea”.

The second section “Focus – Urban Landscapes, Designing and Innovation Strategies” establishes the link to landscape architecture. It explains the methods of Studio Urbane Landschaften; other designers, including Peter Latz of Germany and Chris Reed of the USA, describe their approaches to projects and design.

The book provides a glimpse of how Studio Urbane Landschaften works and at the same time sheds light on the significance and various interpretations of creativity and design in different professions.